Promises to Keep
by Mockingjaybird
Summary: Written for 'The Joys of Arranged Marriages'. When a new marriage law comes into action, the promises between two friends are put to the test, while a confession looms in the air. Summary sucks. Rated T. Read and review!
1. Chapter 1

**AN: This is written for The Joys of Arranged Marriages. Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. Note: I've written this my way, with certain people being friends. It's my story so if you have a problem with it, too bad. Read and review!**

…

"What's this?" The teenaged boy held a small box in his hand, offering it out to the girl in front of him. She slowly took it from his palm with a quizzical look on her face.

"Did I miss something?" she asked, "I'm pretty sure it's not my birthday." She took the top off and stared at its content. "What _is _this?"

"It's a promise ring," the boy said.

The girl looked up at him, noticing that he wore an identical necklace. "And what promise were you going to propose?"

He stepped closer to her. "Promise me that we'll always be together, even when we're not; that our friendship will always last; and we'll help each other no matter what." He took the small, gold ring by the chain he had put it on, and held it in front of her.

"So, promise?"

"I promise."

The boy put the necklace around his friend's neck. "So what with the promise ring and everything? You're not normally like this," she asked him.

He ran a hand through his hair. "I…I've heard that there's going to be changes coming soon. And I don't want whatever that change is, to get in the way of our friendship."

The small smile on her face fell. "Well, it won't," she said. "I can most definitely promise that."

…

In the rainy, early fall afternoon, Draco Malfoy made his way to the old oak tree on the farthest corner of the Malfoy property with a spring in his step. He had a confession; a confession that he was both excited and nervous to execute within the closing yards to his destination.

Once under the concealment of the tree, Draco was greeted with his best friend's sobs. She leaned against the tree, trying to stifle her sobs and wipe her continuous tears upon his arrival.

"What's wrong? What happened?" he asked, deeply concerned as crying was unusual for her. A letter extended from her shaky grasp towards him. He slowly took it and stealing a glance at the seal on the top of the page, sped read it.

The words in the middle of the page made his heart drop.

"You what?"

"I-I have to m-marry Cormac McLaggen!"

"Why?" He read the letter, he knew why. He just couldn't comprehend it.

"S-some new marriage l-law. It's awful!" she cried.

Everything seemed to crash down on him. This was the change he had heard about.

He stared at her, finding the promise ring necklace still around her neck after he had given it to her almost a year ago.

"Run away with me," he said. It just came out; his mind was in such a blur; he didn't want to lose his best friend.

"W-what?"

"Run away with me."

"I can't! I'd be in violation of the law!"

"Screw the law! I'll get my parents to pull a few strings. I know you don't want to marry him," Draco said.

Her lip quivered. "I don't! But there may n-not be enough t-time…"

"What? What do you mean?"

"H-his parents are supposed to set the d-date today."

Draco let out a frustrated sigh. Why did this have to happen now?

She began to cry again and Draco stepped closer and hugged her. "We'll figure something out, Hermione."

His confession, for now, was put on hold.

…

Draco's week was stressed, spent half the time pacing and the other time thinking. He had asked his parents for any information on the new marriage law, how one could terminate it, but their answers came up short. Hermione was stuck and Draco would never be able to tell her.

An owl scratched on his window with a letter in tow. He sat up from lying on his bed and raced to it. He almost tore the letter open, recognizing the neatly scrawled writing.

It read:

_Draco, the date's been set-one week from today-Saturday. I can't meet with you today; I'm stuck with wedding plans. Meet me in Diagon Alley tomorrow, outside of that new wedding boutique-12pm. Yours truly, Hermione._

Draco dropped the letter; let it float down to the floor, as he sat back down on his bed. He had a week to get her out of this; or to tell her.

This was going to be one hell of a week.

…

"No, I don't like that one. It's too puffy."

Hermione frowned, her patience running thin. "You've been shooting down dresses all morning, Cormac! I don't even understand why you need to be here!" Stress was getting to her.

"Alright, let's take a break," Cormac's mother suggested. Hermione returned to the dressing room and changed before heading outside into the cold.

She spotted Draco leaning against a stoned wall and walked over. The moment he saw her, Draco took off his blazer. "Tough morning? You forgot to grab a coat." Draco said.

Hermione looked down at herself, with just the jeans and short sleeved top she had on. "I guess I forgot to grab it from the dressing room."

"Take mine," Draco said giving his to her, watching her put his black, oversized coat. "So how'd it go?"

"Cormac's not liked one dress I've put on, and it's so frustrating!" Hermione exclaimed, twirling the ring at her throat.

"My offer still stands," Draco said. Hermione shook her head. "I don't…can we change the subject?"

"Of course," Draco said. He cleared his throat. "Um…I have to tell you something." This was going to be his only chance.

"Yes?"

"I've been thinking about it lately, and I have to tell you that…" Draco looked up from his feet and saw it. "McLaggen is walking over."

Hermione became confused. "Pardon?"

"He's walking over."

Sure enough, Cormac strode up, with his hands in his pockets. "Hermione, come back inside-who is this?"

Hermione glanced between the two men as Draco reached his hand out first. "Draco Malfoy," he introduced. Draco looked into Cormac's eyes and didn't like the emotions there-jealous, arrogant, dangerous. When Cormac withdrew his hand from the shake, he looked at the oversized men's coat on Hermione and began to raise a suspicious eyebrow.

"He's my friend, Cormac. I asked him to meet me down here," she said, adding, "I forgot my coat inside."

"Oh, then you've heard about the wedding I presume," Cormac addressed toward Draco.

"Yeah, I have," Draco answered, slightly unenthusiastically. He debated about telling him he didn't like it.

There was a small silence between the three before Cormac said, "Well, nice meeting you, we've got to get back to dresses. Darling, give the man back his coat."

Hermione handed Draco back his coat and said, "I'll see you later then, Draco," smiling at him, before she began to walk away with Cormac. When Draco was out of ear-shot, Cormac leaned into Hermione's ear and asked, "He's the one that gave you that necklace?"

"Yes, why?"

"I want it off before you walk down the aisle."

"Absolutely not!" Hermione exclaimed, paused her walking and turned to face him. "We made a promise to each other that I'm going-"

"That's going to expire when we marry!"

Hermione pushed Cormac away from her. "You're so full of it!" she yelled, before she instantly Disapparated.

Draco watched their argument; saw Hermione disappear. As Cormac's mother ran outside after witnessing the commotion, Draco himself, Disapparated, knowing exactly where she'd be. Maybe he'd be able to tell her now.

…

**AN: So first chapter done! I was planning on this being only a few chapter's long. Please R&R!**


	2. Chapter 2

**AN: Happy President's day everyone! I do not own Harry Potter! Written for the Joys of Arranged Marriages Challenge! Please read and review!**

…

He found her once again, at the tree, this time not hiding any emotion that escaped her. She looked as if she were about to cry, and then some; her cheeks a pink tinge from both the cold and her emotions Draco guessed.

"What did he do?" Draco asked as he approached.

"He told me I couldn't wear the ring anymore! The promise ring you gave me! He wanted it off before I walked down the aisle!" She almost screamed it.

Draco was getting pissed. Cormac was not a good person; jealous and vain. The next thing out of Hermione's mouth surprised him.

"I want to run away with you."

"What?"

"I want to run away with you. I don't want to marry him. I can't put up with him anymore! I'd rather be with you."

Draco's heart fluttered with both shock and nervousness as he stepped closer. "Hermione, what about the law? You said you didn't want to-"

"I don't care. We promised, remember?" She stared up at him, the anger draining out, and slowly becoming quietness. She reached up on her toes slightly and put her arms around him. Draco returned her hug, his heart beating faster and faster for a reason he didn't know.

She swiftly put her lips to his in a soft, gentle kiss that Draco didn't want to stop. This was what it was like to kiss her; his best friend of whom he had loved since the first time he had met her.

"I have to tell you something," he said, pulling back. "I've meant to tell you for some time now…Hermione, I l-!"

"_What are you doing with my wife_?!" Cormac raged, marching toward the two.

"How did he-" Hermione began, yet was cut off by Draco.

"She's not your wife!" Draco yelled back, started striding across the field. He took his wand out from his coat pocket, stopped feet away from Cormac, both now seething.

"You little prat; I swear I'll kill you!" Cormac hissed; a stray look of fear washed over him.

"Not if I don't kill you first!" Draco returned, heat rising to his face. He wasn't kidding about his threat, and he was pretty sure Cormac wasn't either. Both stood; only Draco's wand outstretched, sizing each other up, waiting for all the maximum rage to come to them.

Before either of them could make a move, someone shouted, "Expelliarmus!" Draco's wand left him, flying backwards and into the waiting hand of Hermione. Without wands they couldn't hurt each other. At least, not with magic.

Cormac took his chance, punching Draco hard across the face. Draco stumbled back, clutching his cheek as Cormac pulled his fist back to strike again. Draco ducked and charged him to the ground, feeling the blood rush out of his nose. The two wrestled and punches were thrown.

Hermione screamed at them to stop, racing forward after watching Cormac begin to get the upper hand.

"Stop it! Stop-!" Hermione halted as Cormac raised his wand, before concealed in his coat, towards her. She became speechless, stared at him fearfully for a moment. He did not curse her, yet cast a Shielding charm her way, preventing her to step any closer. She could only watch.

Returning back towards his previous target, Cormac had pinned his legs against Draco's body, feet pressing on Draco's hands, trapping him as Cormac hit him repeatedly.

"Tell me you won't see her again! Tell me you won't have anything to do with her once we're married!" Cormac yelled at Draco, grabbing hold of the front of his shirt. Battered and bruised, struggling to get away, Draco stammered, "N-no!"

Cormac stuck once more, nearly rendering Draco unconscious, and yelled, "Tell me you won't, you little _prat_!"

One more blow and tears came to Draco's eyes. "F-fine! I…p-promise…I w-won't!"

Leaning over, not quite satisfied, Cormac hissed in his ear, "Tell me you don't love her. And say it loud enough for her to hear."

Draco nearly thought he should die. He could never-_would_ never- tell Hermione that. "No! I…I l-love her!" There just went his confession.

Cormac's face grew dark, like what Draco had just said was poison. Hermione kept screaming, the invisible bubble holding her from moving forward.

Suddenly, Cormac got up, his feet still pressed on Draco's hands, the pressure greater than before as Cormac swung his legs and stood by Draco's side. Draco cried out for a moment at the release and pain brought to his hands and body. He began to crawl away, his hands hurting, his face starting to bruise and the blood beginning to dry.

Cormac began to walk away before he came back, swinging a leg towards Draco's side, delivering a hard blow to his ribs. Draco cried out, curling into a fetal position, bracing for a second kick, but when none came, carefully peaked out from between his arms, watching Cormac walk towards Hermione. The spell began to wane as he approached it, completely vanished by the time he reached her. She backed up, Draco's wand falling from her grasp. She opened her mouth as if to scream or protest, but Cormac stunned her by grabbing her arms and placing his lips onto hers.

Hermione beat her fists against his shoulders, protesting for him to stop, for him to get off of her, yet Cormac only kissed her longer. He finally let go, smirking before a wave of possession washed over him. "You are mine and no one else's." His hand swiftly went to her neck, wrapped around the delicate chain and pulled.

The necklace clasp broke with a slight _clink _and appeared in Cormac's somewhat bloodied hand. Hermione stared at the necklace, with tears starting in her eyes-she tried to hold them back; she didn't want this _monster_ to see her cry. The necklace dropped to the ground, plopped in the grass almost silently as Cormac turned his back and started walking away. He Disapparated with a _pop, _leaving the battered young couple, both emotionally and physically, left on the field.

….

**AN: Please read and review!**


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